Todd McFarlane’s Spawn has had a monumental impact on the world of comics, but the movie remake could be the superhero and horror film hybrid that fans have been waiting for.
Todd McFarlane’s gritty tale of a deceased cop who returns from Hell to carry out the Devil’s bidding struck a chord with audiences ever since its debut in the ‘90s. McFarlane’s dark universe didn’t just turn into a popular phenomenon, but his tone and style carried over into many other comic series of the decade and even leading to the genesis of popular characters like Venom from Spider-Man. For many, both McFarlane and Spawn are very emblematic of the shift that happens to comics during the ‘90s, but the series has survived over the years and is still currently running strong.
The Spawn comic series hit a milestone last year with its 300th issue and the character has even become a recent addition as a guest character in Mortal Kombat 11. Spawn experienced a feature film adaptation back in 1997 and it also became an impressive animated series on HBO. Those projects were far from perfect, but there’s been lots of talk, chiefly from Todd McFarlane himself, about a new Spawn movie that won’t cut corners or compromise, like adaptations have had to do in the past.
The New Spawn Movie Could Finally Satisfy Horror And Superhero Fans
Films like Blade, Hellboy, Venom, and especially Doctor Strange sequel, which has been touted as the "MCU's first horror film." Clearly studios are beginning to understand that there's a market for this mix of genres and horror films are the other big area of film that's exploded recently along with superhero cinema. There are even more and more horror directors lured over to helm superhero pictures, which inevitably results in them adding some of their horror sensibilities to the project.
While these horror projects have plenty of potential, it still seems like Todd McFarlane’s hopeful Spawn reboot could be the most successful in the area. Horror has always been a heavy part of Spawn’s DNA, rather than some aspect that’s being added or amplified in the story. The Spawn character is a dark, unconventional superhero, but he exists in a universe that has more in common with the horror genre than comic books. He’s a superhero that’s trapped in a horror film.
The original Spawn, while viewed as a critical failure, nearly made double its budget at the box office during a time when superhero films weren’t a considerable draw. The film was ultimately rated PG-13, but the original cut was rated R, which again speaks to the inherently horror-friendly nature of Spawn. Now, in a time where R-Rated superhero films aren’t as much of a gamble and effects work has progressed in unbelievable ways where Spawn’s character can now properly be brought to life, the project seems primed to succeed. There have still been production hurdles that have kept this new version of Spawn from happening, but hopefully they’ll get ironed out and the film can get a fair chance.